Crawford School of Public Policy

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re joined by philosopher Fiona Jenkins and lawyer and labour rights advocate Lisa Heap to discuss how to end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.

Despite Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act, gender-based violence and harassment remain far too common in workplaces the country over. Rape allegations by a young woman against a former colleague at Parliament House have shone a spotlight on this confronting issue. But what can workplaces do to tackle gender-based violence and harassment? How can policymakers support workplaces in this endeavour? And what should change actually look like? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Associate Professor Fiona Jenkins from ANU School of Philosophy and Lisa Heap from RMIT University join Dr Arnagretta Hunter and Professor Sharon Bessell to discuss how to make workplaces safe for all. Listen here.

Lisa Heap is a labour lawyer with over 20 years of experience. She is a member of the Centre for People, Organisation and Work (CPOW) at RMIT University, where she is researching new regulatory approaches designed to prevent gendered violence in the workplace.

Fiona Jenkins is a philosopher and Associate Professor at the ANU Centre for Moral, Social and Political Theory and Convenor of the ANU Gender Institute.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. You can also find a list of support resources here.

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